I’ve unpacked many boxes of books in the last two months.Books I brought back in my suitcase from the Romance Writers of America (RWA)® national conference. Books I shipped in cartons when I moved from the UK to Canada. And books in storage for fifteen years...
Migration has been a recurring theme in my life and family history.My mother’s ancestors left Ireland in the nineteenth century to seek a better life in what was then the frontier of Canada’s Ottawa Valley.Her lone Scottish ancestor, my great-great...
Sunday, 15th March, is Mothering Sunday in the UK. For Christians, it falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent. Historically, it was when people attended their “mother” church, and domestic servants were given the day off to visit family. Since I grew up in...
November is a month of remembrance. Many Christian religions mark All Souls’ Day on 2 November. It’s a time to pray for the dead, especially family members. The All Souls’ service I attended this year helped me grieve the loss of a friend. Remembrance Sunday in the...
In the UK, we’re preparing to mark the centenary of the start of the First World War. For most of us, August 1914 is many lifetimes away. Yet, I’m fortunate to have a connection with one of those lifetimes. It’s part of the web of family and...
